


The Sacrifice Of A Brave Hobbit

by Marriott23



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gifted Hobbits, Near Death, Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-24
Updated: 2014-07-24
Packaged: 2018-02-10 06:51:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2015256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marriott23/pseuds/Marriott23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hobbit's can sacrifice years of their life to the land. It's the reason that the Shire is so fertile. </p>
<p>Thorin has forgiven the hobbit for the theft of the Arkenstone but he still has to appear to punish him. Bilbo assumes that he isn't really forgiven and is prepared to give his life to make it right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sacrifice Of A Brave Hobbit

"You want me to do what?" Bilbo shouted at the king in surprise. He had thought he was forgiven, Thorin had said he was forgiven. The king had called for him the moment he could to forgive him but now the hobbit was standing listening to this.

"Hobbits are good with the land. You will fix the land around Erebor," Thorin said simply. "It will be your fake punishment to appease other dwarves."

"Ahhh," Bilbo yelled throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "It's not that simple Thorin," he said trying to reign in his temper but the disbelieving look on the king's face stopped him. Thorin didn't believe him, he would only ever be a liar and a thief to the king. "Fine I'll do it but on your head be the consequences." With that Bilbo stormed out leaving a confused king behind.

Bilbo sank to the floor in his rooms as tears rolled down his cheeks leaving glistening trails behind. Hobbit, you see, kept the Shire good and fertile by sacrificing a portion of the number of years they could live to the land. It was the closest guarded secret of the Shire to protect the hobbit's that lived there. Bilbo had always thought it was stupid to keep it a secret but now he was beginning to see the sense in it.

The hobbit walked to stand on the mountainside the next morning and he remained there all day. He didn't move a muscle, couldn't bring himself to do what he had to do. Thorin hasn't forgiven you, he never will, a voice whispered in Bilbo's mind. That was all it took for him to finally kneel down and place a hand on the ground. "If I have to die to prove it I will," Bilbo growled aloud and channelled a few years of his life to the land.

Five days later the hobbit was having breakfast with the princes when Kili suddenly stopped moving. Catching the movement, or lack of it, Bilbo turned to him and realised the dwarf was staring at the white hairs that were beginning to appear in his hair. "How long do hobbits live for?" Kili asked suddenly.

"They can live to up to two hundred but there are things that influence it," Bilbo replied and he was ready for the next question that came but it still hurt.

"How old are you?"

"I'm fifty-two," Bilbo replied sadly. Fifty-two and in the process of sacrificing over a hundred years for a king who hadn't forgiven him a theft meant to keep that king safe.

The next time it happened was even worse. Balin came looking for the hobbit when he didn't show for dinner for the tenth day in a row. None of the dwarves had seen him in that time and when Balin did find him he was passed out on the mountainside. "What?" the dwarf breathed in shock before he rushed forward to lift the hobbit into his arms.

"What the...? Oin said when the dwarf rushed into the infirmary with a hobbit in his arms. "What's happened to him?"

"I don't know. I found him like this," Balin replied as the dwarf began his examination. The hobbit's hair was almost completely white now and lines were appearing on his face. Bilbo flinched as a light was shone in his eyes and the healer backed up.

"I was just asleep," the hobbit muttered disgruntled "No need to examine me Oin."

"Care to explain why you look like you're in your old age?" Balin asked him and the hobbit fell silent his lips sealing shut. "Fine you can stay here a few days then," the old dwarf growled angry at his lack of answer.

"Can't," Bilbo replied. "I'm doing something for Thorin."

"Can and will," Oin replied pushing the hobbit down as he struggled to sit up.

Thorin stormed into dinner the next day, "Where is Bilbo? He's supposed to be fixing the land." The other dwarves looked at him in shock all of them now knowing about the hobbit's strange affliction. "Where is he?" The king growled and they all flinched.

"He's in the infirmary and you're not going to disturb him," Oin said at last standing from his seat and approaching the king. "And since you know what he's been doing care to share what has happened to him?"

Thorin stared at him in shock, "nothing has happened to him. He's just been healing the land."

"Maybe Thorin does need to see him," Balin said softly and the healer nodded no matter how reluctantly.

The king followed them to the infirmary and what he saw made his breathing hitch and his heart stop. Before him lay an old aged hobbit not the Bilbo Baggins who had travelled across Middle Earth for a homeland not his own; not the Bilbo Baggins who had gambled everything he had for peace. "Bilbo," the king breathed sinking down to his knees beside him. "What happened to you?"

"What you ordered," the hobbit replied and his voice was more of a dry gasp. He caught the confused look on the king's face and let out a short huff of laughter, "you didn't know," Bilbo gasped. "You didn't know," he added and now he sounded ecstatic. Thorin's day just kept getting stranger.

"Didn't know what?"

"Hobbits we keep the land fertile and healthy," Bilbo said and the king nodded. "We do it by giving years of our life. It is a sacrifice to the land."

Thorin gasped and if he hadn't been kneeling he would have fallen to the ground at the hobbit's words. "Bilbo," he said quietly. "If I had known I would never have asked. Not even if my people were starving and it would have saved them all." The king said and tears were streaming down both their faces now, "never." Thorin repeated.

As they held each other in their sorrow and relief two dwarves still watched on. Those two dwarves saw the golden glow that wrapped itself around the joined hands and then up to encompass both of their bodies. It grew so bright that they could no longer see and then it faded all at once leaving behind there hobbit as he should be. "What was that?" Balin asked in amazement.

"Sacrifice," Bilbo said his eyes not leaving the king. Thorin grinned at him and stood again pulling the hobbit with him. "Pure sacrifice," the hobbit added and the king lent down to claim Bilbo's lips in a kiss.


End file.
